Method and apparatus for moldable material for terrestrial, marine, aeronautical and space applications which includes an ability to reflect radio frequency energy and which may be moldable into a parabolic or radio frequency reflector to obviate the need for reflector construction techniques which produce layers susceptible to layer separation and susceptible to fracture under extreme circumstances

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a unique process of manufacturing rigid members with precise “shape keeping” properties and with reflective properties pertaining to radio frequency energy, so that air, land, sea and space devices or vehicles may be constructed including parabolic reflectors formed without discrete permanent layering. Rather, such parabolic reflectors or similarly, vehicles, may be formed by homogeneous construction where discrete layering is absent, and where energy reflectivity or scattering characteristics are embedded within the homogeneous mixture of carbon nanotubes and associated graphite powders and epoxy, resins and hardeners. The mixture of carbon graphite nanofiber and carbon nanotubes generates higher electrode conductivity and magnetized attraction through molecular polarization. In effect, the rigid members may be tuned based on the application. The combination of these materials creates a unique matrix that is then set in a memory form at a specific temperature, and then applied to various materials through a series of multiple layers, resulting in unparalleled strength and durability.

PRIORITY CLAIMS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/180,476, filed Feb. 19, 2021, which is a divisional of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 16/588,668, filed Sep. 30, 2019, the contents ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a new and improved way to form various devicesor vehicles from a new and novel composition, which may be molded into aparabolic reflector or analogous radio frequency reflector. Morespecifically, according to the present invention, a parabolic reflectormay be formed, consisting of a unique blend of materials such as carbonnanotubes, carbon nanofibers and graphite powder and/or other magnetizedsegments, all embedded and disposed within a novel mix of a resin and acorresponding hardener, whereby the carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibersand graphite powder form a matrix within the material capable ofreflecting radio-frequency radiation and adding to the overall strengthof the device formed. Carbon nanotubes may be formulated in many ways soas a matter of design choice, they may be conductive in various degreesand polarizations. By utilizing carbon nanotubes in one format oranother, unique mixtures of material yield an enhanced and completelynew and improved result, so that parabolic reflectors need not be formedwith embedded mesh elements that can separate within a laminate and neednot be formed by a layer by layer approach whereby each layer is fusedto another while the various layers remain discrete.

A parabolic reflector is a reflective surface that is used to collectand direct wave energy, such as light, electromagnetic waves, sound orradio waves. The use of a parabolic reflector to reflect light can beseen in various laser and material processing applications, as well asin the fields of optics, security systems, and laser-based medicalprocedures. Due to a high level of durability in extreme conditions,parabolic reflectors are also primarily used to reflect and directsatellite signals. Parabolic reflector satellite technology can havenumerous applications in the fields of aerospace, defense, satellitecommunications, and industrial manufacturing.

Current parabolic reflector technology is made up of non-homogenouslayered patterns, where there are separate composition layers. It iscommon to use a mesh overlay or a single layer for electromagneticreflection. The premise of parabolic reflector technology is the use ofa reflecting metallic mesh that is stabilized or embedded within orencapsulated within a dielectric, such as plastic or fiberglass. Anotherprior art method of manufacture includes the use of a layer by layerbuild-up of metallic layers disposed upon a dielectric layer or multipledielectric layers. However, the result is still that of one layeraffixed to the two adjacent layers—layer by layer—which results inpotential deformity and a loss in structural integrity.

An example of the current state of the art is referenced by U.S. Pat.No. 4,860,023 (Halm), whereby a method for manufacturing a parabolicreflector antenna by means of multiple insulating layers is disclosed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a unique process of manufacturing a parabolicreflector, through the use of materials such as carbon nanotubes, carbonnanofibers, graphene/graphite powders, and among theconductive-magnetized segments are the carbon nanotubes. The mixture ofcarbon nanofiber (sometimes called nanopowder) and carbon nanotubesgenerates higher electrode conductivity and magnetized attractionthrough molecular polarization. The combination of these materialscreates a unique matrix or slurry that is then dispersed upon a formingsurface to introduce a shape into the memory of the dried slurry when acertain state of dryness is achieved, and then this slurry applicationprocess is repeated over and over to build up the thickness of theoverall reflective device being formed. By the term “application”, it'sa matter for those of skill in the art to decide how to apply materialupon the forming surface as a myriad of possibilities exist includingbrushing material onto the forming surface, spraying it, pouring it, andso forth. In addition, the material may also include other compatibleadditives such as a carbon fiber woven fabric, a carbon Kevlar wovenfabric, other compatible weaves available commercially, including even afiberglass weave in certain situations.

Through this method, a parabolic reflector epoxy matrix is created,whereby the reflective properties and physical shape are embedded intothe actual mix. Importantly, for the first time ever, a mix is formed sothat the resulting parabolic reflector ends up as a truly homogeneousmember, without discernable discrete layering which can decreasestrength and introduce errors into the shape of the surface.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention,the reflective epoxy matrix is applied onto a forming surface or moldthat defines the shape and size of the parabolic reflector. However, thechoice to apply the slurry over and over building up the overallthickness is one of a construction manufacturing preference. Inaddition, the same process and method may be used to form other devicesaside from parabolic reflectors as discussed herein, and in each case,the number applications of the slurry upon the forming surface willvary. The slurry may be brushed onto the forming surface or more or lesspoured on, as the resulting molded member is homogeneous. That is, nolayering exists within the finished product. The epoxy matrix can beapplied to various materials which form the shaping surface, includingbut not limited to stainless steel, aluminum, wood, or plaster. Thereflective epoxy matrix mixture (or slurry) contains all the activeingredients according to the present invention and is applied to thedesired sides of the underlying shaping surface, followed by successiveapplications of the slurry, over and over, allowing the slurry to setand dry upon the shaping surface. Once each application of slurry isapplied upon the forming surface more and more applications will resultin a thicker device upon the forming surface, as a matter of designchoice. Prior to the process of applying the slurry upon the formingsurface, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers and graphite powder aremixed in with the resin and hardener. In the end, the slurry forms intoa reflective epoxy matrix upon the forming surface and dries to createan even surface.

In one embodiment of the present invention, the epoxy matrix can bebuilt up in terms of its thickness when applied upon a forming surfacewith a brush. Once the epoxy matrix and included fibers have cured to apoint, the process of building up the overall thickness of the deviceupon the forming surface can be repeated to increase its thickness. Thisprocess of applying multiple applications provides reinforcement througha hexagon-like structure, similar to a honeycomb. Once the desirednumber of applications has been dispersed upon the forming surface, theproposed mix of materials and matrix may be subjected to temperaturevariation or other methods to dry or cure the overall slurry containingthe reflective matrix. This can be done through the use of a dryingapparatus such as, for example, a heat chamber. Once the slurry hashardened, the dried material has physical shape memory and becomes aparabolic reflector. This reflector may be tuned using size andthickness of the nanotube structures, in a manner known to those in theart. It can be tuned to be used in the electromagnetic radiationspectrum, weather to reflect, absorb and even discharge radio-frequencyenergy when necessary. It is a matter of design choice as to how tuningmay be accomplished, with nanotubes of smaller sizes used to createhigher reflection at higher frequencies for tuning precision andpredictably, longer tubes can start absorbing certain longer-lengthnanometer waves and then they discharge as they fill. That is, acapacitive or storage effect is advantageously created.

Traditional parabolic reflector design encompasses forming a reflectorand then encasing “it” within a rigid dielectric such as fiberglass or atraditional carbon fiber cured or formed parabolic plate, and thendispersing the reflective layer upon the formed member. According to thepresent invention, for the first time ever the reflective aspect of theparabolic reflector may be formed within and as an integral homogeneouspart of the rigid parabolic form or shape holding member. This isaccomplished via the following steps. First, a parabolic shape or formis manufactured called a forming surface, perhaps out of aluminum orstainless steel, and perhaps in quadrants with each quadrant shaped tobe mated together with the others to complete the parabolic reflectorshape. Next, a low viscosity resin and associated hardener are disposedonto the forming surface, along with super conductive carbon blacknanofiber and carbon nanotubes, mixed together. Importantly, it is worthnoting that carbon nanotubes are available with a myriad of compositionsand resulting conductivity characteristics and polarizations. By usingcarbon nanotubes of one type or another, along with the carbonnanofiber, alignments will form within the resin and in turn form astrong substance with uniform reflectivity throughout the homogeneoussubstance. In this manner, a homogeneous substance forms which ismoldable to any desired shape and any desired conductivitycharacteristic. For a parabolic reflector formed this way, the materialis reflective of radio-frequency radiation, while when used to form astealth aircraft, the same method can be used to make the materialabsorb or scatter radio-frequency radiation.

Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical molecules that consist of rolled-upsheets of single-layer carbon atoms (graphene). They can besingle-walled with a diameter of less than 1 nanometer (nm) ormulti-walled, consisting of several concentrically interlinkednanotubes, with diameters reaching more than 100 nm. Their length canreach several micrometers or even millimeters.

Like their building block graphene, carbon nanotubes are chemicallybonded with in extremely strong forms of molecular interaction. Thisfeature combined with carbon nanotubes' natural inclination to ropetogether via van der Waals forces, provide the opportunity to developultra-high strength, low-weight materials that possess highly conductiveelectrical and thermal properties. This makes them highly attractive fornumerous applications.

The rolling-up direction (rolling-up or chiral vector) of the graphenelayers determines the electrical properties of the nanotubes. Chiralitydescribes the angle of the nanotube's hexagonal carbon-atom lattice.Accordingly, armchair nanotubes, so called because of the armchair-likeshape of their edges, have identical chiral indices and are highlydesired for their perfect conductivity. They are unlike zigzagnanotubes, which may be semiconductors. Turning a graphene sheet a mere30 degrees will change the nanotube it forms from armchair to zigzag orvice versa.

While multi-walled carbon nanotubes are always conducting and achieve atleast the same level of conductivity as metals, single walled carbonnanotubes conductivity depends on their chiral vector: they can behavelike a metal and be electrically conducting; display the properties of asemi-conductor; or be non-conducting. For example, a slight change inthe pitch of the helicity can transform the tube from a metal into alarge-gap semiconductor.

It is worth noting that carbon nanotubes are different than carbonnanofibers. Carbon nanofibers are usually several micrometers long andhave a diameter of about 200 nm. Carbon fibers have been used fordecades to strengthen various compounds, but they do not have the samelattice structure as carbon nanotubes. Instead, they consist of acombination of several forms of carbon and/or several layers ofgraphite, which are stacked at various angles on amorphous carbon (whereatoms do not arrange themselves in ordered structures). Carbonnanofibers and nanotubes have similar properties, but the fibers tensilestrength is lower owing to their variable structure and the fact theyare not hollow inside.

Carbon nanotubes are well-suited for virtually any application requiringhigh strength, durability, electrical conductivity, thermal conductivityand lightweight properties compared to conventional materials.Currently, carbon nanotubes are mainly used as additives to synthetics.Carbon nanotubes are commercially available as a powder, i.e. in ahighly tangled-up and agglomerated form. For carbon nanotubes to unfoldtheir particular properties they need to be untangled and spread evenlyin the substrate.

Another requirement is that carbon nanotubes need to be chemicallybonded with the substrate, e.g. a plastic material. For that purpose,carbon nanotubes are functionalized, i.e. their surface is chemicallyadapted for optimal incorporation into different materials and for thespecific application in question.

Carbon nanotube enabled nanocomposites have received much attention as ahighly attractive alternative to conventional composite materials due totheir mechanical, electrical, thermal, barrier and chemical propertiessuch as electrical conductivity, increased tensile strength, improvedheat deflection temperature, or flame retardancy.

These materials promise to offer increased wear resistance and breakingstrength, antistatic properties as well as weight reduction. Forinstance, it has been estimated that advanced carbon nanotube compositescould reduce the weight of aircraft and spacecraft by up to 30%. Thesecomposite materials already find use in:

-   -   1. sporting goods (bicycle frames, tennis rackets, hockey        sticks, golf clubs and balls, skis, kayaks; sports arrows);    -   2. yachting (masts, hulls and other parts of sailboats);    -   3. textiles (antistatic and electrically conducting textiles        (‘smart textiles’); bullet-proof vests, water-resistant and        flame-retardant textiles);    -   4. automotive, aeronautics and space (light-weight,        high-strength structural composites);    -   5. industrial engineering (e.g. coating of wind-turbine rotor        blades, industrial robot arms); and    -   6. electrostatic charge protection (for instance, researchers        have a developed electrically conducting.

With the present invention with respect to forming parabolic reflectors,various active ingredients or discrete members become mixed and shakento form a uniform homogeneous substance. Conversely, with the prior art,the formation process is viewed as to create a reflective layer and thenencapsulate that reflective layer with some dielectric or stiff coating.Conversely, according to the present invention, the carbon nanofiber andcarbon nanotubes become immersed within the overall mix which includes aresin to form a slurry which may be applied to the parabolic formingsurface after all components of the slurry have been shaken and mixed toform a reflective matrix as a part of the overall homogeneous devicebeing formed. Before the slurry is applied to the shaping surface, ahardener is added into the slurry so as to harden or cure the matrix sothat the finished product retains its formed shape (akin to pouring apancake upon a griddle to form it). Depending upon the application,various ingredients may be augmented within the mix or slurry, whilewith other applications certain other materials may be reduced or eveneliminated. For extra strength and reflectivity, graphite powder isadded to the mixture, and then finally, a hardener which causes theresin or epoxy to permanently harden and form a parabolic shapedreflector. Traditional parabolic reflectors have layers, some of whichare conductive and some of which are not. Conversely, with the presentinvention, the carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers and graphite powders(or graphene powders generally) are all dispersed throughout the entireparabolic reflector. In that manner, the entire reflective member isreflective throughout its structure and achieves a maximum strength anddurability, without any fear of layer separation in most extremeconditions. By following this process, a lightweight substance may bemanufactured, which possesses tremendous strength, has a very lightweight, and is tuned to a specific frequency. So, for parabolicreflectors, the substance manufactured according to the presentinvention may be tuned to the radio frequency of interest (e.g., Kaband, etc.) or when used for maritime or aeronautical applications, thesubstance may be made to absorb electro-magnetic signals like acapacitor and then discharge that stored energy into a different mediumto create such effect to such as scatter radar signals intended tolocate said assets. The stored energy may be distributed to varioussubsystems within the vehicle or vessel composed of the novel materialaccording to the present invention.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention,the application of a release layer between the shaping surface and theepoxy matrix (or slurry) containing the inter-carbon fiber parabolicreflectivity characteristic forms a demarcation point, whereby thesubstances are separated prior to usage of the parabolic reflectorproduced.

The present invention can be used in the construction of maritimevessels and aircraft, as in such by itself, based on its inherent memorycharacteristics may be used in areas where impact resistance is desired,and memory of the shape of the material will reset after impact to acertain level, it may possibly be used in earthquake constructionreinforcement, or in maritime applications or for other hard impactedvehicles and so forth. Where the material will have memory after suchimpact and go back to the shape it was formed in. with very little or nodegradation in shape. Such as radar scattering stealth aircrafttechnology. In addition, spacecraft or subterranean vessels may beconstructed in this matter as well. Air, land and sea all demandapplications where the scattering of radio frequency energy may bedesired, either for stealth operation or tuned focusing forcommunications. The resulting member has unparalleled strength,resiliency, light weight characteristics, and an amazing ability to“keep its precise” shape, which is critical for microwave communicationssystems where wavelengths are very minute.

Other features and aspects of the disclosed technology will becomeapparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, thefeatures in accordance with embodiments of the disclosed technology. Thesummary is not intended to limit the scope of any inventions describedherein, which are defined solely by the claims attached hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a three-dimensional view of a typical multilayer parabolicreflector.

FIG. 1B is a lateral view of the parabolic reflector in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is a rendering of a carbon fiber nanotube arrangement.

FIG. 2B is a rendering of a graphite or graphene powder arrangement.

FIG. 3 is an image of one step in connection with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an image of another manufacturing step in connection with thepresent invention.

FIG. 5 is an image of the epoxy matrix and carbon nanotubes andgraphite/graphene powered material formed by the present invention.

FIGS. 6A & 6B show a parabolic reflector as being assembled, 6A with twoquadrants connected together and 6B at three of four quadrants joinedtogether.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

In accordance with traditional methods for manufacturing parabolicreflectors, FIG. 1A depicts a parabolic assembly surface 102 made byquasi-parabolic reflector surfaces made of concentric strip rings in amultilayer substrate 104 (p represents the axes in the plane of thesubstrate which can be x or y 110) where T represents the totalthickness of the substrate 106. FIG. 1A shows a three-dimensional view100 of a parabolic reflector. FIG. 1B shows a lateral view 108 of theparabolic reflector in FIG. 1A.

In accordance with alternatives to the processes depicted in FIG. 1,other corresponding techniques have been used in the parabolic reflectormanufacturing process, wherein various techniques have been used toachieve the integration of layered or sandwiched dissimilar materials,such as metallic inserts, adjacent various dielectric layers. In no casedo prior art methods achieve the result of the present invention whichenables the overall parabolic reflector to be formed from a singlemixture of slurry, to form a homogeneous reflector, which possessesuniform levels of reflective throughout its cross-section and entirevolume. Consequently, efficiency, signal to noise ratio and durability,strength and light weight design are all maximized in a streamlinedsimple manufacturing process.

FIGS. 2A-B are renderings of carbon fiber materials used in connectionwith the present invention. In accordance with the preferred embodimentof the present invention, the epoxy matrix of the present inventionrequires materials such as conductive carbon black nanofibers and/orcarbon nanotubes 200, as shown in the rendering of FIG. 2A, and graphiteor graphene powder 202, as shown in the rendering of FIG. 2B. To clarifythis process, in order to practice the present invention, a manufacturerwould start with a parabolic shaped forming surface 300 as shown in FIG.3. That shaping surface is simply the shape of the article you wish tocreate: a parabolic reflector or a parabolic reflector broken up intofour petals or quadrants that may be bolted together, a maritime vessel,a spacecraft, an aviation asset, building supplies particularly whichare earthquake resistant, and so forth. The parabolic forming surface300 may be made of any material desired such as wood, plaster, stainlesssteel, aluminum, or any other material suitable for accepting a coatingcontaining the desired elements. The forming surface 300 may be sprayedor otherwise coated prior to application of the reflective resinmaterial (slurry) according to the present invention, again, much like agriddle may be coated prior to cooking a pancake. Such a coating acts asa “release material” so that the formed member or parabolic reflectorportion or unit may easily be separated from the forming surface 300.Upon that forming surface is applied a low viscosity resin (or epoxy),carbon nanotubes and/or carbon nanofibers 200, graphite powder (or agraphene powder) 202, and then finally, while heated, a hardener isadded to allow the hardening or curing_process to lock into place thedesired shape of the article desired to be manufactured. Alternatively,a heat box may be used to cure the slurry into the finished product. Thehardener is selected to correspond with the resin chosen, such that theresin and hardener act in concert with the carbon nanotubes, carbonnanofibers, and graphite powder to form a homogeneous parabolicreflector unit or portion thereof.

FIG. 3 is an image of a shaping surface used in connection with shapinga parabolic reflector surface according to the present invention. Inaccordance with the preferred embodiment, the epoxy mixture or slurry isapplied upon the shaping surface 300 so that upon hardening, a parabolicreflector may be formed of before unheard-of characteristics. Theparabolic reflector slurry is applied to a mold or forming surface 300as displayed in FIG. 3 and as it dries and cures, the hardener containedwithin it produces the desired result, much the way pancake batter isformed on a cooking skillet. The ingredients all disperse themselvesthroughout the finished article.

FIG. 4 is an image of a step according to the present invention. Inaccordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention, theslurry possessing the required or desired reflective characteristics areapplied to the forming surface. One important ingredient in the slurryis an epoxy resin, which mix with the carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofiberand graphite powders to create the finished parabolic reflector 400 asshown in the image of FIG. 4. Importantly, the carbon nanotubes alignthemselves naturally within the article being formed as they arepolarized. The carbon nanofiber is similarly conductive, so it adheresto the carbon nanotubes and in turn, the graphite powder or graphenepowder fills in the matrix so that the overall slurry has uniformlydispersed reflective properties distributed uniformly throughout themixture of resin and hardener.

According to the present invention. In accordance with the preferredembodiment of the present invention, the epoxy matrix 500 of theparabolic reflector consists of a carbon fiber nanotube 502 andnanofiber structure and graphite powder 504, mixed together with resinand a hardener, as shown in the detailed image in FIG. 5.

FIGS. 6A & 6B show a parabolic reflector as being assembled, 6A with twoquadrants connected together 600 and 6B at three of four quadrantsjoined together 602, perhaps with bolts to secure the petals to oneanother. Of course, the parabolic reflector may be formed in one pieceor in several pieces for assembly upon usage requirement. In the presentembodiment, the parabolic reflector is shown made up of quadrants, sothat it may be stored and transported in a portable fashion, easilybrought onto an airplane, for example.

While various embodiments of the disclosed technology have beendescribed above, it should be understood that they have been presentedby way of example only, and not of limitation. Likewise, the variousdiagrams may depict an example architectural or other configuration forthe disclosed technology, which is done to aid in understanding thefeatures and functionality that may be included in the disclosedtechnology. The disclosed technology is not restricted to theillustrated example architectures or configurations, but the desiredfeatures may be implemented using a variety of alternative architecturesand configurations. Indeed, it will be apparent to one of skill in theart how alternative functional, logical or physical partitioning andconfigurations may be implemented to implement the desired features ofthe technology disclosed herein. Also, a multitude of differentconstituent module names other than those depicted herein may be appliedto the various partitions. Additionally, with regard to flow diagrams,operational descriptions and method claims, the order in which the stepsare presented herein shall not mandate that various embodiments beimplemented to perform the recited functionality in the same orderunless the context dictates otherwise.

Although the disclosed technology is described above in terms of variousexemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood thatthe various features, aspects and functionality described in one or moreof the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability tothe particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead maybe applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of theother embodiments of the disclosed technology, whether or not suchembodiments are described and whether or not such features are presentedas being a part of a described embodiment. Thus, the breadth and scopeof the technology disclosed herein should not be limited by any of theabove-described exemplary embodiments.

Terms and phrases used in this document, and variations thereof, unlessotherwise expressly stated, should be construed as open ended as opposedto limiting. As examples of the foregoing: the term “including” shouldbe read as meaning “including, without limitation” or the like; the term“example” is used to provide exemplary instances of the item indiscussion, not an exhaustive or limiting list thereof; the terms “a” or“an” should be read as meaning “at least one,” “one or more” or thelike; and adjectives such as “conventional,” “traditional,” “normal,”“standard,” “known” and terms of similar meaning should not be construedas limiting the item described to a given time period or to an itemavailable as of a given time, but instead should be read to encompassconventional, traditional, normal, or standard technologies that may beavailable or known now or at any time in the future. Likewise, wherethis document refers to technologies that would be apparent or known toone of ordinary skill in the art, such technologies encompass thoseapparent or known to the skilled artisan now or at any time in thefuture.

The presence of broadening words and phrases such as “one or more,” “atleast,” “but not limited to” or other like phrases in some instancesshall not be read to mean that the narrower case is intended or requiredin instances where such broadening phrases may be absent. The use of theterm “module” does not imply that the components or functionalitydescribed or claimed as part of the module are all configured in acommon package. Indeed, any or all of the various components of amodule, whether control logic or other components, may be combined in asingle package or separately maintained and can further be distributedin multiple groupings or packages or across multiple locations.

Additionally, the various embodiments set forth herein are described interms of exemplary block diagrams, flow charts and other illustrations.As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art afterreading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their variousalternatives may be implemented without confinement to the illustratedexamples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying descriptionshould not be construed as mandating a particular architecture orconfiguration.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A manufacturing process for forming a radiofrequency reflector having a monolithic structure without encapsulationof a forming surface wherein said forming said structure includes thefollowing steps: a. blending together carbon nanotubes, carbonnanofiber, and a resin hardener under suitable conditions to form acured conductive slurry; b. applying said curing conductive slurry to ashaped forming surface wherein said shaped forming surface is of a shapecorresponding to a desired reflecting surface shape; c. allowing saidcuring conductive slurry to harden; and d. separating said reflectingsurface from said shaped forming surface without encapsulating saidshaped forming surface and wherein said shaped forming surface issubstantially rigid and fixed into place as a mirror image of saiddesired reflecting surface shape, and wherein said conductive slurryhardens to form said monolithic structure of conductive slurry from saidshaped forming surface for operation as a radio frequency reflector. 22.The manufacturing process for forming a radio frequency reflectoraccording to claim 21 wherein said reflector is formed by a brushapplication of said slurry onto said shaped forming surface.
 23. Themanufacturing process for forming a radio frequency reflector accordingto claim 21 wherein said radio frequency reflector is formed by a pourapplication of said slurry onto said shaped forming surface.
 24. Themanufacturing process for forming a radio frequency reflector accordingto claim 21 wherein said radio frequency reflector is formed by a sprayapplication of said slurry onto said shaped forming surface.
 25. Themanufacturing process of claim 21 wherein said cured conductive slurryforms a homogenous reflector.
 26. The manufacturing process of claim 21wherein said cured conductive slurry possesses uniform levels ofreflectivity through its cross-section and entire volume.
 27. Themanufacturing process of claim 21 wherein said cured conductive slurrypossesses non-uniform levels of reflectivity through its cross-sectionand entire volume.
 28. The parabolic reflector manufacturing process ofclaim 21 wherein said carbon nanofibers become oriented with said carbonnanotubes to form an organized matrix.
 29. The parabolic reflectormanufacturing process of claim 21 wherein said monolithic structure iscomprised of several concentrically interlinked carbon nanotubes. 30.The parabolic reflector manufacturing process of claim 21 wherein saidcarbon nanotubes are formed as armchair carbon nanotubes.
 31. Theparabolic reflector manufacturing process of claim 21 wherein saidcarbon nanotubes are formed as zigzag carbon nanotubes.
 32. Theparabolic reflector manufacturing process of claim 21 wherein saidcarbon nanotubes are single-walled.
 33. The parabolic reflectormanufacturing process of claim 21 wherein said carbon nanotubes aremulti-walled.
 34. The parabolic reflector manufacturing process of claim21 wherein said parabolic reflector is chemically bonded with asubstrate.
 35. A manufacturing process for forming a radio frequencyreflector having a monolithic structure wherein forming said structureincludes the following steps: a. blending together carbon nanotubes,carbon nanofiber and a resin hardener under suitable conditions to forma cured conductive slurry; b. applying said curing conductive slurry toa shaped forming surface wherein said shaped forming surface is of ashape corresponding to a desired radio frequency reflecting surface; c.allowing said curing conductive slurry to harden; and d. separating saidconductive slurry from said shaped forming surface for operation as aradio frequency reflector, wherein said carbon nanofibers becameoriented with said carbon nanotubes to form an organized matrix, whereinsaid monolithic structure is comprised of several concentricallyinterlinked carbon nanotubes.
 36. A manufacturing process for forming arigid material having a monolithic structure wherein forming saidstructure includes the following steps: a. blending together carbonnanotubes, carbon nanofiber and a resin hardener under suitableconditions to form a cured conductive slurry; b. applying said curingconductive slurry to a forming surface wherein said forming surface isof a shape or pitch corresponding to a desired reflective surface; c.allowing said curing conductive slurry to harden; and d. separating saidconductive slurry from said shaped forming surface for operation asdesired.
 37. The manufacturing process for forming a rigid materialaccording to claim 36 wherein an underwater vehicle is formed from saidrigid material.
 38. The manufacturing process for forming a rigidmaterial according to claim 36 wherein a maritime vehicle is formed fromsaid rigid material.
 39. The manufacturing process for forming a rigidmaterial according to claim 36 wherein a terrestrial structure is formedfrom said rigid material.
 40. The manufacturing process for forming arigid material according to claim 36 wherein an aeronautical vehicle isformed from said rigid material.
 41. The manufacturing process forforming a rigid material according to claim 36 wherein a spacecraft isformed from said rigid material.